Fort Hood attacker's execution livestreamed, Pentagon says
The Pentagon announced that Nidal Hasan's execution for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting will be livestreamed after firing squad approval.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- The Pentagon plans to execute Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter, via firing squad.
- The execution is scheduled at Fort Hood, Texas, on December 3.
- It marks the first military execution in over 60 years and the first firing squad since WWII.
- President Donald Trump approved the recommendation, including a public livestream.
A Defense Department official told the BBC that the execution of Nidal Hasan, who fatally shot 13 unarmed U.S. soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009, will be broadcast live to the public.
Earlier in the week, the Pentagon announced it would execute Hasan in what marks the first military execution in more than 60 years. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated on Monday that the defense secretary made the recommendation, which President Donald Trump approved.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The U.S. Army secretary stated on Tuesday that the execution is scheduled to take place at Fort Hood in Texas on December 3. This will be the first military execution by firing squad since the end of World War Two.
This development represents a profound shift in U.S. military justice procedures. Military executions require stringent appellate reviews and presidential approval, meaning that introducing a livestream adds unprecedented layers of legal and transparency challenges that remain legally contentious.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist from Virginia, admitted in court to being the gunman in the deadliest non-combat attack on an American military base. The November 5, 2009, shooting occurred in a crowded medical building where deploying soldiers awaited check-ups and vaccines.
John Mills, a lawyer working with death row inmates, noted there is no modern-era precedent for a public execution. He added that Hasan's appellate process is not complete and he is likely to seek review in federal court, which could stay the execution.
"Seeking to make it livestreamed, a firing squad execution, is little more than attention-seeking by the Trump administration and is unlikely to occur, much less deliver any semblance of justice."
John Mills
Legal scholar Denno pointed out that a livestreamed execution would enforce an unprecedented level of transparency, though it raises questions regarding age restrictions and online platform policies.
The last military execution occurred in 1961 when a private was hanged for raping an 11-year-old Austrian girl. The last firing squad execution took place in January 1945 when a young U.S. Army deserter was shot during World War Two.
Source: BBC World
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